U.S. Picks 13 Men for Water Polo Squad

It might have been their spotlight, but the swimmers on the 2004 U.S. Olympic team were gracious enough to share it -- at least for a few minutes -- while the U.S. men’s water polo team was introduced to the fans at Long Beach.

The 13-member team was announced Wednesday, the culmination of a four-year process, Coach Ratko Rudic said.

Rudic said the U.S. was one of the first countries to announce its men’s team; the women’s team was announced in June.

“We are more than one month from the beginning of the Olympic tournament ... so anything can happen still. But I think this is a good moment for us,” he said. “I think this was the right moment to choose the team.”

Rudic cut the roster to 15 last month, and by two more in the past two weeks.

In the past, the U.S. men have not been as successful as the women, but Rudic believes his team will be a medal contender in Athens.

At Sydney in 2000, the men placed sixth.

In recent matches, the men have defeated historically strong teams such as Hungary, Russia and Serbia.

Only three of the players are returning Olympians. Team captain Wolf Wigo was on the 1996 and 2000 Olympic teams.

Joining him as repeat Olympians were Tony Azevedo and Ryan Bailey.

Omar Amr also made the team, along with Layne Beaubien, Brandon Brooks, Genai Kerr, Dan Klatt, Brett Ormsby, Jeff Powers, Chris Segesman, Jesse Smith and Adam Wright.

Wigo said that inexperience would be a factor in Athens, but he was hoping team unity would help balance that. His role as a veteran, he said, would be to provide leadership to the younger players.

“It definitely is an experience unlike any other that they have been in before,” he said.